Simplification of the Complex Neural Pathways of the Brain

Simplification of the Complex Neural Pathways

Current research being undertaken by a team from Keck Graduate Institute, Michigan State University, and the BEACON center, focuses on the task of understanding and truly mapping the neural pathways of the human brain and body by evaluating the neural system of a much simpler organism (the the microscopic roundworm Caenorhabditis elegans), under the basic idea that the human brain and neural system evolved from that of the simpler organism. The researchers accomplished this task by segmenting regions of the entire neural network into smaller subregions, or "motifs", and evaulating the expression of specific motifs in relation to the whole network (scaling how often each motif is represented within the neural network). The team also enhanced representations of the model by dividing the groups of neurons into three groups: motor, sensory, and interneurons. They examinined the pathways and motifs associated with each grouping of neurons.

From their data, it was clearly evident that the main goal and "rule" associated with the nervous system involved simplicity and speed of transmission. By comparisons, they accounted this primarily to evolution and natural selection. This was made clear by the overexpression of efficient and highly functional motifs in the neural system, as opposed to the slower, less important motifs. They also began coupling the motifs and nodes of the neural system to their functional information, using this to "decode the role of natural selection in shaping the architecture of neural circuitry".

I found this article particularly pertinent to our class and the material we are learning because of our discussion of simple reflexes vs. the much more complex reflexes. This data and research helps to indicate that the body and neural system focuses on speed and efficiency in response, which is also evidenced by the quite short neural pathways. This exhibits the idea that although the brain is complex, this complexity is essential and necessary. Yet, this also illustrates the idea that the brain can be simplified into its "primal" workings, with clear pathways expanding from much simpler pathways (through evolution). The brain is able to be broken down into patterns, with pathways becoming evident as the patterns are continually studied.

http://nsf.gov/discoveries/disc_summ.jsp?cntn_id=119219&org=NSF